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` A ELECTRIC SIGNAL VPOR RAILWAY GARS. No. 380,647.

Patented Apr. 3, 1888A.

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JOHN RICHARD DE MIER, OF LAS CRUCES, TERRITORY OF NEW MEXICO, ASSIGNOR,BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE DE MIER ELECTRIC TRAIN SIGNAL COMPANY.

SP'ECEE'ECATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 380,647, dated April3, 1888.

Application filed June 9, 1887. Serial No. 240,780.

To JZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. Jenn Riel-IARD Dn MIER, a citizen ot the UnitedStates, residing at Las Cruces, in the county of Doa Aa, T erritory ofNew Mexico, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inElectric Signals for Railroad-Cars; and I do declare the following to beafull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable othro ers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and tothe letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a partof this specification.

15 My invention relates to an electric opcncircuit apparatus for givingsignals to the engineer and other persons in charge of a train,

said apparatus being made in sections suitably coupled.

My invention has for its object the produc tion of an automatic andmanipulative opencircuit electric signaling apparatus which can bequickly and easily applied to a'train of cars while the train is beingmade up, or put 25 in position previous to its departure from therailroadestation, and which can with equal facility be removed therefromaccordingly as circumstances may require.

My invention consists in certain novel con- 3o structions, arrangements,and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of a locomotive,tender, and passenger-car provided with my invention, portions of thecar-body being broken away to show circuit-closer and circuit-coupler.Fig. 2 is a view showing a battery and alarm-bell used therewith. Fig. 3is a perspective view of a portion of the circuit-coupling of myapparatus, which is fastened to the outside of the end of a car; andFig. 4 is a perspective View ofthe sliding portion of said coupling.Fig. 5 is a top view of the coupling portions as 45 united for service.Fig. 6 is a central longitudinal section of one of the sliding portionsof said coupling and a portion of the part shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is atransverse section in the line so x of Fig. 5 of the coupling 5o united.Fig. 8 is a transverse section in the (No model.)

same line when the sliding portion of the coupling is partly moved outof the fixed portion shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 9 is a transverse section inthe line y y of Fig. 5. Fig. 10 is a longitudinal central section ot' acircuit-closer 55 shown in Fig. 1, operated by the bell-rope of a car.Fig. 11 is a view of the same mounted in a car and of theoperatinghandles, and Fig. 12 is a front view and Fig. 13 a side view ofone of the said handles. Fig. 11iE isa modiiied 6o construction of thecircuit-closer shown in Fig. 10. Fig. 15 is a horizontal central sectionand a partial elevation of another modiiied construction of theV saidcircuitcloser. Fig. 16 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 65 17 is aview showing said eircuitfcloser mounted in a car. Fig. 18 is a verticalcentral section of a modified construction of the circuit-closer shownin Fig. 10, the same being adapted for use on freight-cars; and Fig. 19is an enlarged 7o central section of the lower portion thereof. Fig. 20represents a combined coupling and circuit-closer, the former partly insection and the latter wholly in section, and the same attached to theend of a car. Fig. 21 is a cen- 75 tra'l longitudinal section of mywater-tight coupling, and showing a portion of a clasp wherewith it isfastened to an air-brake hose. Fig. 22 is a side elevation of the same.Fig. 23 is an end view of the same. Fig. 24. is a 8o view of twocouplings made water-tight, showing connecting-wires and the mode ofmounting upon a coupled air-brake hose. Fig. 25 represents an endportion of a car-sill and truck, an alarm, and means for electrically 85operating the same. Fig. 26 is a side elevation of the alarm mechanism,its housing being shown open. Fig. 27 is an end view of the alarmmechanism, the housing and a releasing-plug of the same being shown insec- 9o tion. Fig. 2S is a detail View of the. releasing-plug and asectional view of its bearings in the housing. Fig. 29 is a sideelevation of a European car provided with my circuitcloser. Fig. 30 is acentral horizontal section 95 of the circuit-closer and its water-tighthousing as especially adapted for use outside of a car or where exposedto weather.' Fig. 31

is a front view of the circuit-closer and a section of its housing. Fig.32 is a view of the roo two connected sliding portions of the couplingas they appear when detached from the cars. Fig. 33 is a view of thesame as arranged and attached between two cars.

The letter A in the drawings represents a battery, B an electric gong, Xconductingwire, C a locomotive, D tender, and E car. The battery A issecured in a b'oX, a, as shown in Fig. 2, and this box is suitablyfastened to the outer side of the engineers cab c of alocomotive, C, asshown in Fig. 1. rIhe box a is represented with parallel iianges a',which are made to tit parallel ordinary dovetailed bars, ci, on the sideof the cab c, and thus the battery-box is held in place. Other modes offastening (and other locations) may of course be adopted to hold thebattery in place.

The gong B is of ordinary construction, and is connected to one of thepoles of the battery and to one of the continuous wires X of the signalapparatus, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2. From there the conducting-wires areturned down to the under side of thelocomotive-platform and inclosedtogether in an ordinary nonconducting rope-covering, X'. The rope Xisattached to the lower portion of the tender-` flooring, as seen, and isturned up along the back of the tender D to a spring-clasp, d, at thehead of a staff, d', on the tender. From there the rope X' extends tothe car E, to which it is attached by means of a coupling, F. Thiscoupling consists of two separable parts, F' F2, the one, F', beingattached to the car above the car-door, and the other, F2, to the end ofthe rope X'. The part F2 consists of a non-conducting solid cylinder, f,into which the end of the rope X' is secured, and to the end portion ofwhich two cylindricallycurved conducting or metal plates, f' andfl, aresecured at a suitable non-conducting distance from each other. y

Between the platesf and f and the cylinder f the wires X are located,which for a suitable distance are deprived of their coverings and arebent outwardly in order to touch the said plates and transmit theircurrents to them. The plateSf'fz are each provided with a slot, f3,aring at its outer termination, by which they are secured to the partF', as will be seen. Each platef' and f2 is also provided with a laterallip, ft, serving as a circuitcloser, as will be presently described.

The part F' consists of a non-conducting flanged plug, f5, to theilangef6 of which the radial flanges f7 of two semi-cylindricalconducting-plates, f 8 f", are suitably fastened. The plates fifiinclose the plates f'f2 when the coupling F is connected, and they areseparated at suitable non-conducting distances, like plates f'f', andthe four plates are arranged in pairs, as f'f and fzf), separate fromeach other, so as not to close the circuit. The plates fS f 9 areprovided with notches f1 opposite the li ps j" of the part F2 of suchsize as to prevent the uniting of the positive and negative currents,and thus render the momentary closing of the circuit impossible,

while the coupling is in perfect connection.

The perfect connection is effected by means of the above-mentioned slotsf3 of part F2 and two spring-clamps, G, of part F'. The springclamp G'consists of a semi-spherical clamphead g inside the part F', a straightshank, g', passing through the conducting-plates f8 and f", a spring,g2, outside of the conducting plate, surrounding the shank and bearingagainst the conducting-plate and a head, g, of the clamp G. Inconnecting the coupling the part F2 is inserted into the part F', theslots f3 being held in line with the clamps G. The clamp-heads g areeasily moved upon the advancing platesf'f2, and the shanks g', coming incontact with the termination ofthe slotsf, check any further advance ofthe part F2, which is thus properly connected with part F', as seen inFigs. 5, 6, 7, and 8. Vhen the connection of the coupling is imperfect,as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 5, the lipsf* are in contact withthe previously-insulated plates f8 fg, and thus close the circuit of thetrain and set the gong B in operation. Each end of a car is thusprovided with a coupling F, and the two coupling parts F' F2 areconnected by means of their conducting-wires X X, which are attached tothe ceiling of the car, as seen in Fig. l, or to any safe and convenientpart of the car. With this construction the bellrope circuit-closer H isconnected by means of branch Wires X2 X2. The bell-rope I, of ordinaryconstruction, is stretched through the car and secured thereto by meansof handles z'. These handles i are slotted, as at i', and provided withclamp-screws i", so as to securely clamp and adjust the bell-rope I,which may be held at the desired angle by means of an inclined groove,is, in each ofthe clampingsurfaces of the handle. This groove, beingnearly midway between the upper and lower ends of the handle, causes thehandle to stand across the opening in the car through which the bellropepasses, and prevents the upper end being drawn into said opening by ahearty pull on the bell-rope. The bell-rope is severed at or about themiddle and connected by means of hooks h to eyes or hooks h' h' of itscircuit-closer H, as shown Vin Fig. 10. This circuit-closer consists ofan oblong frame formed by non-conducting bars h2, conducting end braces,h3, and aconducting bridge plate, h", having a central insulator, h5. Aconducting-rod, h6, having the hook h on its outer end and a transversehead, hi, on its inner end, passes through one of the braces h and theinsulator h5 of the bridge-plate h, and is provided with a fixed collar,las, at the other side of the insulator. Between the brace h3 and thecollar h8 a spring, h, is so inserted as to hold by its tension thecollar Ita against the insulator h5. Between the head lf and thebridge-plate h* the head h7 is provided with a short conductingspring,h1, which, when the rod h6 is pulled by the bell-rope, approaches IOO lsprings h2.

and touches the bridge-plate h4, and thus closes the circuit by means ofthe branch wires X2 X2, which are connected one between the fasteningand surface of the brace h2, and the other to the conducting-fasteningof the bridge-plate h4.

In Fig. 14 I show a simplified construction of thc bell-ropecircuit-closer, which consists of a non-conducting head, h, providedwith two insulated conduct-ing fiat springs, h22, having directconnection with the branch wires X2 X2 and pull-hooks 7L, conducting-rodh, insulator h5, head h2, with short conductingspring h2", similar tothe one previously described, the one end of the rod being fastened tothe spring h2 opposite the insulator h5, thus dispensing with spring h2,above described.

In the modification shown by Figs. 15, 16. and 17 I dispense with theceiling-wires X X and branch wires X2 X2, and conduct my wires X Xthrough an inclosing non-conducting pull-rope, X', to an eXpansibleframe consisting of conducting parallel plates h1, fastened tonon-conducting plugs h15 and coupled by A rod, h, is fastened to a lug,h, of one of the plates It, and passes through the plugs h15 and througha lug, It, of a plate, h, on the other side of the circuit-closer, sothat lug h and rod h are connected with thepositivepoleoftheopencircuit. Thelughlhaving a wide insulation-opening,h1", through which Y the rod h6 passes, permits this rod to pass withouthavingtheslightestelectric communication with the lug. The rod h6 isprovided with a head, h2, and a spring, h1", of such diameter as to comein contact with the lug h2? when the rod is moved toward it by pullingthe bell-rope I, thereby closing the circuit. The plates k12 areprovided with angular notches h2", having a contracted or taperinghorizont-al termination, as seen in Fig. 16. Into these notchestransverse pins i2 of the rope-couplings Z5 are inserted, whereby theconducting bell-rope becomes attached to the circuit-closer. The pins t4are fastened or formed on parallel conducting-plates Z6, which arefastened to non-conducting plugs t2 and are made to fitsnugly betweenthe plates hu. The plugs il are provided with central holes for thereception of the circuit bell-rope X, the wires X X of which are turnedoutwardly and suitably connected with their respective conducting-platesis, as shown in section in Fig. 16. The bell-rope X is in this caseconnected with the outer permanent portions of couplings F, in themanner seen in Fig. 17, and the handles i are fastened to it, so as togive it the requisite tension inside the car.

Figs. 18 and 19 show a circuit-closer, K, of similar principle to Fig.]0-viz., the sliding insulated conducting-rod hG-as applied to afreight-car and worked from the roof of the same. The rod is hung in twoconductingbrackets, k k', suitably connected with the branch wires X2X2. The bracket la is provided with an insulator, h5, through which therod passes. The rod 7L is provided with a collar, ha, a head, hl, and aconducting-spring, hm, which latter touches the bracket k and closes thecircuit when the rod h6 is pulled up. The rod h6 is kept down in itsnormal position, as shown, by a spring, h2, which causes a suitabletension between the bracket 7c and collar h2. rI he end portion of therod h6 is suitably connected to a chain or rod, k3, which moves in aguide-bracket, k2, and is fastened to a water-proof cap, h5, fittedsnugly to the upright cylinder k6 on the roof e of the car.

The cap L5 is provided with a suitable handle or button, by which it ispulled up in order to close the circuit below, as described. A spring,k2, of -powerful tension, is hung to the rod k3 between theguide-bracket k2 and upper end portion of the rod h6 in such inannerthat its tension begins to operate as soon as the rod h6 has closed thecircuit by very perceptibly increasing the resistance offered to thecontinuation of the upward motion, which serves as a warning to theoperator ou the car-roof that the circuit is closed and the desiredsignal given to the engineer of the train.

I have found that a coupling and circuitcloser combined and suitablysecured 'to the old bell-rope eyes at the ends of the ear, as shown inFig. 20 by letter L, is the most economical and convenient for specialcars. The coupling portions F F2 are ot' the same construction asdescribed in respect to Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7; but the hanged portion f6is further provided with two conducting springs, h1", suitably connectedwith the plates fsf". A tube, Z, containing the conducting pull-rope X',is by means of a flange, Z2, fastened to the flanged portion f6 of thenon conducting plug f5. The wires X X are at the ends of the rope Xturned toward the platesfsf", respectively, thus making the connectionwith the coupling. The tube Z is placed in a tube, Z3, provided with anouter iiange, Z2, and an inner iiange, Z5, through which lutter the tubeZ slides, which at that point is provided with an outer fiange, Z6. Aspiral spring, h2, is placed around the tube Z and between it and thetube Z3, which spring bears against the flange Z2 of the tube Z and theflange Z5 ofthe tube Z2, and thus keeps the springs h2 at the properdistance from the flange Z", while the flange Z6 prevents the tube Zfrom being moved too far forward. rlhe tube Z3 is provided with flatlongitudinal curved springs ZS, which allow the said tube to be insertedinto the bell-rope eyes e of the car end e2 and hold it there firmly ina central position. When the rope X is pulled, the tube Zl and couplingF are moved toward the car until the springs L10 come in contact withthe metallic conducting-flange Z*, thus closing the circuit and givingthe signal.

In Fig. 2l the coupling F is shown provided with a water-proof casing,M, and a cap, m, connected with it by means of spiral springs m', whichhold thc cap upon the cas- IOO ing when open, as shown in full lines, orhold the cap securelyin place while closing the casing, as shown indotted lines in Fig. 22. The casing M is fastened to the plug]5 of thecoupling portion F', and the plug j' of the coupling portion FZ ismadelarge enough to fit the casing M, and is also provided with a rubberpacking, m2, secured in an annular groove of the plug, as shown. Thewater-proof coupling is used outside of the car and may be attached tothe hose Y of an air-brake, in which case it will be provided with ahinged clasp, ma, of ordinary construction, which is made to hug thehose, or when said coupling is to be fastened to a straight or plainsurface one or two ordinary iianges and screw-bolts will serve thepurpose. Y

When a special signal is desired, whereby the engineer is notied ofanydamage to a carsuch as derailing of a truck or the breaking cfa wheel oraXle-I combine my invention, as dev scribed, with an alarm-wheel, a, ofa clock mechanism, N, set in motion by means of the removal of astopping-plug, a, connected by a chain, n2, with the truck n3 yof a car,as shown in Figs. 25, 26, 27, 28. A circuit-closing spring, n, comes incontact with the teeth of the wheel n, and so produces the specialalarm. This special mode of giving an alarmforms the subject-matter ofanother application filed on an even date with this and numbered240,779. I merely illustrate it as being adaptable to trains providedwith my present invention.

The circuit-closer shown in Figs. 1S and 19 may be inclosed in awater-proof housing and used outside of the car, as shown in Figs. 30and 31. The housing shown there consists in a metallic shell, O, havingan open back and a tlange, 0, around the same,.which latter is fastenedto a wooden back, o. Between the flange 0 and back o a soft-rubberpacking, o2, is interposed-making a water-tightjoint.

The circuitcloser proper is of the same construction as theabovedescribed,onlythe spring k7 and water-proof cap c being omitted.This circuit-closer is operated by means of cords I, running on theoutside of the car E, as seen in Fig. 29, where it is seen fastened at ee', and passing around guide-rollers o o3 in the housing O and upward tothe rod h6. The operation of this circuit-closer is principally the sameas that above described, the wires X X and their couplings F in thiscase being fastened to the ear-sill, as seen.

I would prefer to use but one style of circuit-closer were it not forthe mixed conditions of the trains.

the circuit-closer, as illustrated in Fig. 15, it.

is unnecessary to mar or injure the car by I would prefer Fig. 10 foruse in all cases, as I have shown it for ordinary making holes suitableto run wires X X, as would be necessary if a circuit-closer like Fig. 10were used. Fig. 20 is especially designed for useon special cars whichare not pro` vided with my permanent electrical appliance. The specialor visiting car from some foreign road may be placed at any point in thetrain, and a section of rope and connector and'circuit-closer, as shownin Fig. 15, can be run through the car same as any ordinary bellrope,and being connected to the proper connector or coupling on the carahead, and in the rear the circuit is conveyed through the train. If Idid not make these provisions, as above noted, my invention could not beused in such a manner as would develop all of its utilities in mixedtrains, and therefore these variations of construction and form I-ndnecessary for a perfect working of my appliance on cars of all classesbrought together in a train.

I do not claim under this patent the special construction andcombination shown by Figs. 20 and 29 of the drawings, as I have on March10, 1888, Serial No. 266,786, filed a separate application for a patenttherefor.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. rlhe combination, with the pull-rope extending from end to end of therespective cars of a train and having an electrical signalapparatuscombined therewith, of the pendent non-conducting handles i, providedwith the slots t, grooves i3, and clampscrews i2, substantially asandfor the purpose described.

2. The coupling F, comprising sections F F2, and having the platesff,having springclamps G, and the platesffz, having slotsf, substantiallyas and for the purpose described.

3. The coupling F, comprising sections F F2, and having the plates f8 f,with notches flo, and the plates ff2, with lipsfi substantially as andfor the purpose described.

4. In the circuit-closer H, the conductingrod h6, having contact-springhw and tensionspring ho, conducting-braces h3 h4, insulator h5, branchconducting-Wires XZXZ, and pull cord or rope, substantially as and forthe purpose described.

5. In a manual electric-circuit closer` for signals for railroad-trains,the combination of the pull-rope, electric conductors or circuit-wires,circuitclosing reciprocating rod, circuit-opening tension spring, andcylindrical spiralspring contact device applied on the saidreciprocating rod and against a head, la7, thereof, substantially as andfor the purpose described.

6. In an electric train-signaling apparatus, the combination of thecoupling portion F', having housing M, springs m', and cap m,with thecoupling portion F2, having rubber packing m2, substantially as and forthe purpose described.

7. In an electric alarm signaling apparatus provided with a coupling andcircuit-closing mechanism, the spiral-spring contact device IOC) IIO

hm, and making a direct Contact itself with the In testimony whereof Iafx my signature in contactplate, and arranged upon a reeipropresence oftwo Witnesses.

catino` eonduotinfr-rod h which is insulated by abbushing ofbthecontact-plate, against JOHN RICHARD DE MIER' 5 which (the plate) saidspring-contact bears Witnesses:

when the circuit is closed, substantially as and ROBT. L. FENWIOK, forthe purpose described. J. P. THEO. LANG.

